Narrative:

After loading flight plan and numbers into FMS, could not display 'map' mode. Didn't know enough to really know if that was normal or not, but didn't think so, since I had not had that problem before on an airplane, although I'd had plenty of other FMS and ACARS problems. I took the airplane anyway, because I figured I could go VOR to VOR worst case. On taking the runway at stl, I checked the headings and they matched. However, looking back, I'm not sure that they indicated a proper direction. After takeoff we were given a right turn (runway 30) to 340 degrees and I immediately noticed that the headings were about 60 degrees off to the right (360 degrees). Climbing through 400 ft, I reached up and tried to reset the navigation switches and that kicked off the autoplt and removed all navigation information and attitude information. We leveled at 6000 ft and requested a return to the airport. I flew the aircraft using the magnetic compass and the standby attitude indicator, with no autoplt or autothrottles. It's fortunate that the WX was VFR and daytime. Since the return was the same as total electrical failure, instrument and navigation-wise. Night or IMC would have been difficult. I suppose I shot myself in the foot, however, we don't know enough about FMS to work out abnormals safely. After returning to the gate, maintenance reset the computers and everything worked fine thereafter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the training provided for the newly acquired and different aircraft was a 1-DAY course added to an annual proficiency check. There was no access to simulators for the different aircraft so there was no hands on experience until presented with an aircraft in the course of a regular schedule. There are differences in several system but the navigation and flight instrument system is the most difficult to adapt to. It is essentially a glass cockpit system as opposed to the current standard analog presentation. The reporter received his training several months prior to the incident. The reporter admits his error in resetting the navigation switches causing the incident. He has since been given another refresher course in the differences in aircraft but still complains that no simulator was available for hands on training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISSIMILARITY OF ACFT NAV SYS IN A SINGLE AIRLINE FLEET LED TO CONFUSION, LOSS OF NAV DISPLAY INFO AND A RETURN TO LAND AFTER IMPROPER OP OF A SYS BY A CREW NOT COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH THE DIFFERENCES.

Narrative: AFTER LOADING FLT PLAN AND NUMBERS INTO FMS, COULD NOT DISPLAY 'MAP' MODE. DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH TO REALLY KNOW IF THAT WAS NORMAL OR NOT, BUT DIDN'T THINK SO, SINCE I HAD NOT HAD THAT PROB BEFORE ON AN AIRPLANE, ALTHOUGH I'D HAD PLENTY OF OTHER FMS AND ACARS PROBS. I TOOK THE AIRPLANE ANYWAY, BECAUSE I FIGURED I COULD GO VOR TO VOR WORST CASE. ON TAKING THE RWY AT STL, I CHKED THE HDGS AND THEY MATCHED. HOWEVER, LOOKING BACK, I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY INDICATED A PROPER DIRECTION. AFTER TKOF WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN (RWY 30) TO 340 DEGS AND I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE HDGS WERE ABOUT 60 DEGS OFF TO THE R (360 DEGS). CLBING THROUGH 400 FT, I REACHED UP AND TRIED TO RESET THE NAV SWITCHES AND THAT KICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND REMOVED ALL NAV INFO AND ATTITUDE INFO. WE LEVELED AT 6000 FT AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO THE ARPT. I FLEW THE ACFT USING THE MAGNETIC COMPASS AND THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR, WITH NO AUTOPLT OR AUTOTHROTTLES. IT'S FORTUNATE THAT THE WX WAS VFR AND DAYTIME. SINCE THE RETURN WAS THE SAME AS TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, INST AND NAV-WISE. NIGHT OR IMC WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT. I SUPPOSE I SHOT MYSELF IN THE FOOT, HOWEVER, WE DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT FMS TO WORK OUT ABNORMALS SAFELY. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE, MAINT RESET THE COMPUTERS AND EVERYTHING WORKED FINE THEREAFTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE TRAINING PROVIDED FOR THE NEWLY ACQUIRED AND DIFFERENT ACFT WAS A 1-DAY COURSE ADDED TO AN ANNUAL PROFICIENCY CHK. THERE WAS NO ACCESS TO SIMULATORS FOR THE DIFFERENT ACFT SO THERE WAS NO HANDS ON EXPERIENCE UNTIL PRESENTED WITH AN ACFT IN THE COURSE OF A REGULAR SCHEDULE. THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN SEVERAL SYS BUT THE NAV AND FLT INST SYS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO ADAPT TO. IT IS ESSENTIALLY A GLASS COCKPIT SYS AS OPPOSED TO THE CURRENT STANDARD ANALOG PRESENTATION. THE RPTR RECEIVED HIS TRAINING SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR ADMITS HIS ERROR IN RESETTING THE NAV SWITCHES CAUSING THE INCIDENT. HE HAS SINCE BEEN GIVEN ANOTHER REFRESHER COURSE IN THE DIFFERENCES IN ACFT BUT STILL COMPLAINS THAT NO SIMULATOR WAS AVAILABLE FOR HANDS ON TRAINING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.